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SPECIAL OFFER: We have four nights available from Thursday 4th April to Monday 8th April for £500. Come to see spring in Snowdonia. Perfect conditions for walking and mountain biking.

Maes-yr-eglwys-wen (The Field of the White Church in Welsh) is a holiday house about 4 miles north of Dolgellau in the Snowdonia National Park, accommodating up to 6 people and 2 children in four bedrooms. More details here.

It sits alone in fields forming a large clearing high in the Coed-y-Brenin forest, best known for its world-famous mountain bike trails. Excellent walks are available from the front door and the spectacularly beautiful Mawddach estuary is 15 minutes away by car and sandy beaches a little further. All the adventures of Snowdonia – recently described by Lonely Planet as one of the top 10 holiday locations in the world – are within reach.

Recently refurbished, the house is very well-equipped and comfortable, something all our visitors note. From July 2018, there is an electric car charging point at the house. Prices range from £600 to £1,190 a week, depending on season. We welcome weekenders in the autumn and winter periods. Unfortunately we cannot accept pets.

Full details of availability are available on the Bookings page. We can sometimes move bookings around if the week you require is not available.

Please ring Karen, who manages the house, on 07581 176943 (mobile reception sometimes poor) or 01341 450384 or write to karen@holiday-cottage-services.co.uk. If your enquiry is urgent, please also try Chris Goodall on 07767 386696 or chrisgoodall2@gmail.com

Maes-yr-eglwys-wen

Maes yr Eglwys Wen from woods one kilometre to the east, March 2016.

Originally built by the Forestry Commission in the 1920s, Maes-yr-eglwys-wen was without vehicular access or electricity until 2013. Over the period August 2013 to May 2014 our wonderful builders created a light, tranquil and comfortable house, transforming the original cottage. An oak-clad extension with a vaulted roof now provides a large living and kitchen area, warm and light throughout the year, and the house has been completely renovated, redecorated and refurnished. The surrounding garden has been landscaped and French windows from the new extension open onto a sheltered south-facing patio.

The main living room, taken from the kitchen area

Since June 2014 the house has been available for holiday rentals, with housekeeping and maintenance managed by Karen Pendragon of Holiday Cottage Services. The house has four bedrooms (three with king-size or double beds, one with twin beds) and two bathrooms, one of which is en-suite. There’s also a separate toilet.

We are about half a mile from the nearest property and a couple of hundred yards from the public road. So there’s no noise or background light. On a clear evening you can stand outside the house and watch as many stars as you are ever likely to see in the UK. Deer can sometimes be spotted in the evening, bounding gracefully in the fields and forest surrounding the house and feeding on leaves and grass, while at dawn and dusk you can hear owls calling.

View from nearest roadMain bedroom with en-suite bathroom behindThe terrace area, looking into the main room

That doesn’t mean Maes-yr-eglwys-wen is remote. It’s about 15 minutes to the nearest market town. Dolgellau has supermarkets, a Boots, banks, restaurants, cafes and pubs. And, thanks to the miracles of satellite, the house has access to all modern media, including a full range of TV and radio channels, wi-fi and a phone. Water comes from a borehole drilled over 100 metres down into the volcanic rocks underneath the cottage.

We’ve made the house as warm, comfortable and energy-efficient as possible. So along with the solar panels, thick insulation on the old walls and air-tight new living room, we’ve put in a wood pellet stove that blazes away in winter and heats both house and water throughout the year.

The house is surrounded by grazing land and has a small private garden for children to play in. The garden area isn’t huge but extends right around the house.

Maes-yr-eglwys-wen is high up in Snowdonia National Park. The sun doesn’t shine all the time – and we’ve included some photographs that show overcast weather – but even in heavy rain the house is light and welcoming. We think this is an idyllic place to stay. If you need any more information, please do get in contact with us.